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Category Archives: Films

Related to a film, DVD, VHS, etc.

Oct 07 0 comments
Films, VOW

Give Me Some Truth – original clip from 1972 ‘Imagine’ film

Imagine cover art

This Sunday John Lennon would have been 71, and so I thought some of his music from ’71 would be a good thing for this week’s VOW (video of the week).

Between 1969 and 1972, John Lennon and Yoko Ono released fourteen films, and the last of these, Imagine, made its world premier on December 23, 1972. Its purpose was not to promote the album of the same name, as it had already been released 15 months earlier, in September 1971. However, it does include separate video spots for each of the songs on the Imagine album, as well as a couple tracks from Yoko’s Fly album, also released in September 1971 (and to think this was all well before anyone had even thought about anything called MTV).

This clip of John’s “Give Me Some Truth” is from this film and begins with a short segment of his earlier single, “Power To The People”. It includes scenes of John and Yoko in the streets leading a peace rally as well as footage from their book signing event for Yoko’s Grapefruit paperback. We also see a little bit of John at his Ascot Sound Studios (or possibly the Record Plant in New York), during the Imagine album sessions (Imagine sessions occurred in both places).

Much of the footage from this film was restored years later for use in the 1988 box office movie Imagine – John Lennon as well as the DVD released in 2000 titled Gimme Some Truth – The Making Of John Lennon’s Imagine Album. The song “Give Me Some Truth” has a great political sentiment, and no definition of its message need be stated for most people reading. It also has some sizzling guitar licks by George Harrison. Enjoy…

Click the image above to play the video.

Here are some Amazon links to read more on, or purchase, some music related to this post:

1) Imagine – 2010 remastered CD of original 1971 Imagine album by John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

2) Imagine – John Lennon (Deluxe Edition) – deluxe edition of Imagine – John Lennon 1988 movie (100 minutes), featuring much of the original 1972 Imagine film

3) Gimme Some Truth – The Making of John Lennon’s “Imagine” – 2000 DVD feature on the making of John Lennon’s Imagine album (around 63 minutes)

4) Fly (2cd Slim) 1997 remastered 2-CD set of Yoko Ono’s original 1971 double Apple album – with contributions from John Lennon

5) More Amazon links for any of your favorite Beatles-related music: The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

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Oct 05 2 comments
Extras, Films

Tonight on HBO – Martin Scorsese’s George Harrison: Living In The Material World

George Harrison: Living In The Material World

The long-awaiting documentary film on George Harrison that we’ve been hearing about for a few months is finally here! In the U.S. tonight, premiering on HBO – Part 1 of Martin Scorsese’s George Harrison: Living In The Material World. Part 2 will air tomorrow evening. (check local listings for showtimes).

Here are a few video clips to get you ready.

Comments from Director Martin Scorsese:

Additional comments from Director Martin Scorsese:

HBO Trailer

More info on home video version here.

Buy at Amazon UK or check your local retailer.

George Harrison: Living in the Material World – A new book by Olivia Harrison. Drawing on George Harrison’s personal archive of photographs, letters, diaries, and memorabilia, Olivia Harrison reveals the arc of his life, from his guitar-obsessed boyhood in Liverpool, to the astonishment of the Beatles years, to his days as an independent musician and bohemian squire. Here too is the record of Harrison’s lifelong commitment to Indian music, and his adventures as a movie producer, Traveling Wilbury, and Formula One racing fan. The book is filled with stories and reminiscences from Harrison’s friends, including Eric Clapton, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and many, many others. Among its previously unpublished riches are photographs taken by Harrison himself beginning in the mid-1960s. It is a rich tribute to a man who died far too young, but who touched the lives of millions.

Vote/review thebeatlesrarity.com on BeatleLinks.net by clicking here. I sincerely appreciate the feedback. It supports the site and only takes a few seconds.

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Oct 03 0 comments
Extras, Films, News/Events

Good Ol’ Freda – the film, the memories and the magic

Okay, so may I test your Beatles knowledge here for a minute? Do you know who Freda Kelly is?

If your not sure, here is a clue from George Harrison:

Xmas 1963 Beatles message (excerpt) - George Harrison

That little excerpt comes from the very first Christmas disc sent to members of The Beatles Fan Club during the holiday season of 1963. Liverpudlian Freda Kelly was the Beatles Fan Club Secretary from 1963 until it closed in 1972, two years after the breakup of The Beatles. The Official Beatles Fan Club originally formed in May of 1962 and was managed by Bobbie Brown, but when Bobbie became engaged in 1963, Freda took over and remained the secretary until the end. Freda first met The Beatles way back in the days when they were playing The Cavern Club in Liverpool and was actually one of the Cavernites – a group of protesters fighting to keep the Cavern from closing down, in both 1963, and 1966 (it was eventually destroyed in 1973 and later rebuilt across the street from the original location).

Freda was in Beatles manager Brian Epstein’s inner circle of confidants and was along for many Beatles happenings and even visited their homes. And, in the office, she handled sacks and sacks (and sacks!) of mail from Beatles fans around the world. Forty years ago, after the fan club was no more, Freda continued with her private life, content with her memories of the Beatles days. But now, film makers have encouraged her to go public and make a film of her story and experiences during that magical period.

Happy Nat w/Freda Kelly, March 2011

Happy Nat w/Freda Kelly, March 2011

I had the pleasure of meeting Freda back in March 2011 and she is the sweetest woman in the world! She spoke briefly with me and you can hear that interview here (though it is noisy as a Beatlefest was going on around us).

Good Ol’ Freda is a documentary film about the untold story of Freda Kelly, The Beatles’ trusted secretary and friend throughout their rise to fame. The movie’s title comes from the line The Beatles shouted out to her on that same Christmas recording I shared with you above. TheBeatlesRarity.com is currently joining in the effort to raise the funds to make the film a reality. If you’d like to help, please visit Kickstarter.com, a website where you can make a donation to a film and get a reward in return (signed DVDs, photos of Freda with the Beatles, movie credit, even lunch or a personal tour of Liverpool with Freda!). We are trying to raise $50,000 by 11-11-11. Click here for a direct link to Freda’s Kickstarter page, if you would like to read more about it and support this very worthwhile film.

Here is a fascinating video clip showing a few never before seen photos of The Beatles with Freda.

Good Ol’ Freda – Kickstarter Video from Tripod Media on Vimeo.

It’s been 50 years since Freda began her work for the Fab Four and this movie will be the first time she’s sharing her memories, so please help out if you can. You can also join the Good Ol’ Freda Facebook group here and she is on Twitter at @goodolfreda.

As mentioned above, donors for Freda’s movie will be receiving rewards such as signed DVDs, photos of Freda with the Beatles, movie credit, even lunch or a personal tour of Liverpool with Freda! They will also be listed on Freda’s website (currently under construction) at www.fredakelly.com.

The Director of Good Ol’ Freda is Ryan White, the producer/director of Pelada, an award-winning documentary about a trip to 25 countries told through the lens of pick-up soccer. The film premiered at the prestigious SXSW Film Festival in 2010 and has played in over 20 film festivals worldwide. It’s been broadcast in as many countries and received rave reviews from Variety, The New York Times, and Sports Illustrated. Prior to Pelada, White had a longstanding collaboration with eight-time Emmy winner Sherry Jones.

Good Ol’ Freda is scheduled for release in late 2012 or early 2013 and will be the first Beatles documentary of its kind.

To view the official press release of on the film, click here.

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Sep 30 2 comments
Films, News/Events

More on Martin Scorsese’s George Harrison: Living In The Material World

George Harrison: Living In The Material World

The film we’ve been hearing about all year is finally about to make it’s debut. George Harrison: Living In The Material World will premier in the U.S. on HBO this October 5th & 6th and be showing in the U.K. (and Dublin, Ireland) at theaters, for one day only, on October 4th (check local listings).

Home video releases will be out in the U.K. on October 10th, but unfortunately not until next Spring in the U.S. There is a limited edition Deluxe version packaged in a custom-made picture frame box w/easel back for photo display. It includes a Blu-ray disc of the 209 minute film and two DVDs with 11 bonus features (as outlined below). There is also an audio CD containing 10 previously unreleased tracks (see below for tracklisting) from George, and even a 96 page book.

The film promises to be a detailed and captivating documentary using never before seen footage to cover George’s childhood, the whirlwind of his life as a Beatle, his introduction to Indian music and culture, and finally the highs and lows of his post-Beatle years as a solo artist and ‘Wilbury’. There is also more insight into the joys and pains of his private life. Even the most devoted fan of George and his music, is sure to come away from the film with a closer sense of what he was all about.

In case you haven’t seen it yet, here is a trailer…

More details on the home video version:
The limited-edition Deluxe version is packaged in a custom-made picture frame box with an easel back for photo display and includes:

1) 2 DVDs and one Blu-ray featuring the film & 11 bonus features
2) 10-track CD of previously-unreleased recordings
3) 2 exclusive lithographs
4) 96-page book

CD Tracklisting (with bonus edition only):
1) My Sweet Lord (demo) 3:33
2) Run Of The Mill (demo) 1:56
3) I’d Have You Any Time (early take) 3:06
4) Mama, You’ve Been On My Mind (demo) 3:04
5) Let It Be Me (demo) 2:56
6) Woman Don’t You Cry For Me (early take) 2:44
7) Awaiting On You All (early take) 2:40
8) Behind That Locked Door (demo) 3:29
9) All Things Must Pass (demo) 4:38
10) The Light That Has Lighted The World (demo) 2:23

Bonus Features:
-George plays the Uke* 1:37
-Deep Blue* 1:11
-Here Comes The Sun 2:38
-Dispute and Violence 5:12
-Growing Up In Liverpool* 4:20
-Paul McCartney 2:23
-Neil Aspinall* 3:31
-The Inner Light* 2:31
-Jeff Lynne 2:56
-Gordon Murray* 4:17
-Damon Hill 4:21
(*exclusive to Deluxe Edition)

Please note: This post is sponsored, but all thoughts are my own.

Buy at Amazon UK
or check your local retailer.

Not yet available on Amazon.com (US). Stay tuned for updates. But the book is (see below)! –

George Harrison: Living in the Material World – A new book by Olivia Harrison. Drawing on George Harrison’s personal archive of photographs, letters, diaries, and memorabilia, Olivia Harrison reveals the arc of his life, from his guitar-obsessed boyhood in Liverpool, to the astonishment of the Beatles years, to his days as an independent musician and bohemian squire. Here too is the record of Harrison’s lifelong commitment to Indian music, and his adventures as a movie producer, Traveling Wilbury, and Formula One racing fan. The book is filled with stories and reminiscences from Harrison’s friends, including Eric Clapton, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and many, many others. Among its previously unpublished riches are photographs taken by Harrison himself beginning in the mid-1960s. It is a rich tribute to a man who died far too young, but who touched the lives of millions.

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Sep 09 3 comments
Films, VOW

One After 909 – The Beatles Jan. 30, 1969 rooftop performance

Let It Be LP, cover art

I thought this would be an appropriate choice for this week’s video feature since the date is September 9th. The Beatles, along with friend and keyboardist Billy Preston, made their final concert appearance at around 1:00 pm on January 30, 1969, on the roof of their Apple headquarters and studio at 3 Savile Row, London. It was an unannounced performance that the London bobbies eventually put a stop to, due to the disruption in the city during the middle of the business day. The Beatles themselves were actually hoping to be arrested for disturbing the peace because it was all being filmed, and that would be the perfect climax of their Let It Be documentary. As it turned out, they were permitted to complete a final version of Get Back before having to stop. The show included multiple takes of Get Back, Dig A Pony, Don’t Let Me Down and I’ve Got A Feeling, along with this performance of One After 909. The Beatles played for 42 minutes before being shut down, and the best 20 minutes are included as the conclusion to the Let It Be film.

One After 909 was actually a song The Beatles revived during their January 1969 Get Back Sessions. Originally titled The One After 909, it was one of the very first songs written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. This was in 1957, during the time when they were part of The Quarry Men. On March 5, 1963, The Beatles recorded it in the studio during the same session when they recorded their From Me To You/Thank You Girl single, but they were not satisfied with the result and it was shelved. Some of this early attempt of the song (takes 3-6) is now on the Beatles Anthology 1 CD set.

The rooftop performance of One After 909, seen here, was also used for the Let It Be LP.

Click the image above to play the video.

Here are some Amazon links to read more on, or purchase, some music related to this post:

1) Let It Be (Remastered) – 2009 remaster of original 1969 album, including rooftop performance of One After 909 seen here.

2) Let It Be… Naked – the “stripped down” version of the Let It Be album released in 2003, including One After 909 with the Phil Spector mix “undone” (also includes bonus disc Fly On The Wall with snippets of The Beatles in the studio in Jan. 1969).

3) Anthology 1 – 1995 2-CD set of out-take versions and concert performances of the early days of The Beatles, including a 1963 recording of takes 3-6 of One After 909.

4) More Amazon links for any of your favorite Beatles-related music: The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

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Aug 26 6 comments
Films, VOW

George Harrison & Bob Dylan – soundcheck rehearsal at Concert for Bangladesh

Concert for Bangla Desh, 2005 remaster cover art

George Harrison and his spiritual mentor, Ravi Shankar, organized the Concert For Bangladesh to relieve the country from a couple of big messes.

First off, on Nov. 12, 1970, a devastating tropical storm, known as the 1970 Bhola Cyclone, struck East Pakistan (currently Bangladesh). Equivalent in strength to a category 3 hurricane, it flooded the Ganges Delta and was responsible for the loss of 500,000 people in the region, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters of modern times.

Secondly, the Bangladesh Liberation War, according to many reports, had resulted in three million deaths and widespread violation of human rights by the Pakistan Army. Many civilians were killed, raped and tortured, and their exact numbers to this day are not known, but the genocide tactics used by West Pakistan against the Bengali and Indians of the region has been considered by many historians as comparable to the atrocities of World War II.

Beginning in the summer of 1970, George and Ravi organized both an afternoon and evening concert with a large array of musical artists, including Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Leon Russell, Billy Preston and Badfinger. The event, held at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, was the first benefit concert of this magnitude in world history. The initial monies raised for the show came to $243,400 and some change, and to this day, the ongoing sales of the Concert for Bangladesh albums, CDs, DVDs, etc. continue to go to UNICEF (to benefit children in countries devastated by war).

This video clip features a rehearsal duet between Bob Dylan and George recorded at a soundcheck made on August 1, 1971, before one of the shows. If Not For You is a Dylan composition that was featured on his 1970 New Morning album and had also recently been covered by George on his triple album, All Things Must Pass, also from 1970. Bob had also co-wrote the opener for All Things Must Pass with George (a song called I’d Have You Anytime), and George had played on a few tracks from Bob’s recent Self Portrait sessions. As the two were working so well together, it was only natural to invite Bob to be a part of the event.

Click the image above to play the video.

Here are some Amazon links to read more on, or purchase, some music related to this post:

1) Concert for Bangladesh
– 2005 remaster DVD of the Concert for Bangladesh with bonus materials that include the If Not For You rehearsal seen here.

2) Concert for Bangladesh
– 2005 2-CD remaster of original 1971 album by George Harrison & Friends

3) All Things Must Pass [BOXED EDITION] – 2001 2-CD remaster of original 1970 album by George Harrison featuring his well-known cover version of If Not For You.

4) New Morning
– 2009 CD remaster of original 1970 album by Bob Dylan featuring original version of If Not For You.

5) The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3 : Rare And Unreleased, 1961-1991 – 3-CD set of rare and previously unreleased Bob Dylan tracks including If Not For You with George Harrison on slide guitar.

6) More Amazon links for any of your favorite Beatles-related music: The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

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